Azerbaijan/Georgia/Armenia
South Caucasus Odyssey: Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia
Program No. 16908RJ
Gain a deeper understanding of the South Caucasus as you visit sacred monuments, sample traditional cuisine, attend cultural performances and learn the story of this ancient region.
Enroll with Confidence
We want your Road Scholar learning adventure to be something to look forward to—not worry about. Learn more
Protecting the Environment
We offset a portion of the emissions created by your travel. Learn more
15 days
14 nights
34 meals
13B 12L 9D
1
In Transit to Program
In Flight
4
Baku / drive to Sheki
Sheki
5
Sheki / Khan's Palace
Sheki
11
Drive to Yerevan / Lake Sevan
Yerevan
15
Program Concludes
In Flight
At a Glance
Delve into the wildly diverse cultures and landscapes of the South Caucasus — a mountainous strip of land between the Caspian and the Black Seas and home to the countries of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia. Discover the heritage behind the bold designs of Azerbaijan’s carpets, savor deep red wines, and visit bakeries, artists’ studios and craft centers in Georgia, and admire the sculpted stone khachkar crosses that dot the green hillsides of Armenia, the world’s first Christian country.
Activity Level
Let's Go!
Walking 1-2 miles on varied terrain; some steep stairs and some stairs without railings. Standing in museums. Elevations up to 6,200 feet.
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.
What You'll Learn
- Investigate the musical history of Azerbaijan, whose origins stretch before 3000 B.C.
- In Armenia, visit Echmiadzin Cathedral — a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to what some say is a piece from Noah’s Ark.
- Witness demonstrations of traditional bread baking, vodka distilling, and the making of churchkela, the wonderful Georgian sweet.
Suggested Reading List
(21 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
South Caucasus Odyssey: Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia
Program Number: 16908
Russia's Steppe Frontier, The Making of a Colonial Empire, 1500-1800
In this sweeping, scholarly history Khodarkovsky traces Russian imperial adventures in the Caucasus from the decline of the Mongols to the end of the 18th century.
Caucasus, A Journey to the Land between Christianity and Islam
An engaging account of travels in the Caucasus in the footsteps of Imam Shamil, a Muslim who resisted the Russians in the 19th century. The book is a portrait of the people, land and issues in the region.
Taste of Persia, A Cook's Travels Through Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, and Kurdistan
Centering on a culinary tradition that is (alas) poorly understood in the West, this cookbook presents 125 recipes from the Caucasus and Middle East, framed with locals' stories and photographs.
Black Dog of Fate, A Memoir
This powerful memoir combines Balakian's coming-of-age as an Armenian-American in New Jersey with his growing realization of the horrors suffered by his family in the Armenian genocide of 1915 in Ottoman Turkey.
Stories I Stole, A Journey to Georgia
Witty, engaging and attuned to the complexities of history and ethnicity, Steavenson, a veteran journalist, spins lyrical tales of the former Soviet Republic of Georgia as it crumbles around her in the late 1990s.
The Ghost of Freedom, A Modern History of the Caucasus
A professor at Georgetown, King reveals the imperial ambitions, larger-than-life personalities and romance of this strategic region.
Samarkand
An excellent introduction to Samarkand (by turns inhabited by Uzbeks, Tajiks, Russians, Turks, Koryo-Sarams, Jews and Afghans), this compendium brings the region to life with essays, photos and plenty of recipes little-known to the West.
An Armenian Sketchbook
Newly translated, Grossman's journal of a stay in Armenia in the early 1960s affectionately depicts the people and traditions of a mountain village.
Stalin: New Biography of a Dictator
An authoritative, illuminating biography of Georgian Josef Stalin, who ruled the Soviet Union from 1929 until his death in 1953 and caused the death and imprisonment of more than a million Soviet citizens per year.
For the Love of Wine
After falling in love with Georgia and its celebrated wine, Alice Feiring travels throughout the country meeting winemakers, farmers, artists and more, collecting both stories and recipes to present a compelling portrait of a stunning country and its remarkable people.
The Georgian Feast
Historian and food expert Goldstein explores the food, traditions and geography of Georgia, as beautiful as it is bountiful, in this savory cultural history. With illustrations by delightful 19th-century primitivist Niko Pisosmani.
Highlanders, A Journey to the Caucasus in Quest of Memory
In this astute portrait of a complex region in the wake of the Soviet Union dissolution, an Israeli journalist travels into the Caucasus to uncover what fuels the conflicts that divide the region's many ethnic and religious communities.
A Spy by Nature
Introducing the London School of Economics graduate and reluctant British spy Alec Milius. When he lands a prime job for a British oil company, Alec finds himself trapped in a world of secrets and lies that could cost him his life.
Ali and Nino, A Love Story
The deeply sentimental tale, set in Baku in the years before WWI, of an Azerbaijani Muslim boy in love with a Georgian Christian girl, originally published in 1937.
Lonely Planet Georgia, Armenia & Azerbaijan
An excellent practical guide featuring a good overview of culture, history and nature, 16 pages of color photos, 40 maps and a language guide.
A Hero of Our Time
The story of the bored and cynical antihero Pechorin. A subtle, psychological and brooding masterpiece of Russian Romanticism originally published in 1840, it influenced later 19th century greats including Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky and Chekhov.
Black Sea
In this skillful regional portrait, Ascherson weaves his own travels and impressions with a fascinating account of the Black Sea's history. From ancient mythology to modern politics, he admirably never loses sight of the sea itself.
Passage to Ararat
Arlen's National Book Award-winning memoir of his father and the rediscovery of his Armenian heritage. He interweaves stories of travel and family with an account of the troubled history of the country.
The Caucasus, An Introduction
A timely, readable portrait of the Caucasus by an experienced journalist working in the region. With historical background, insight into energy production and an analysis of struggles for independence.
Gentlemen of the Road
This medieval adventure by Pulitzer Prize-winner Chabon is set in the Caucasus Mountains, where two thieves for hire are responsible for the fate of the empire of the Khazars.
Caucasus: Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan Map
A travel map of the Caucasus at a scale 1:1,000,000.
Recommended For You
